Being changed in hospital

[Tenaman]

I have had four spinal operations over the last 12 years and my incontinence issues are well recorded. I have worn adult nappies to manage my incontinence for over 35 years and as a rule have always been able to change myself, sometimes with a bit of help. Just recently however I had a hip replacement and changing myself when wet was out of the question. I generally go through four nappies a day and I was so embarrassed at having to tell the nurses I was wet and asking them to change me. But they were amazing about it although some struggled a bit fixing the tapes in the best place! I was in hospital for four days and they never made me feel awkward even checking every once in a while if I needed changing.
What experiences have others had?

 

[L2Sci]

When in inpatient rehab after my spinal surgery that ledt me a para, all the staff was amazing. Helping me try to get to the restroom, changing me and cleaning me after a mess. They were sooo surprised when i intermittent cathed myself as they said noone ever really does. I was always so apologetic and embarrassed especially after messing myself but they always brushed it off and reassured it was their job and no big deal.

In regular hospital for kidney infection was different. I was not allowed to leave the bed. They were very understaffed so I understood, after a mess took 45min-2hours to get someone to help clean me. Most staff was nice and plsent, some seemed annoyed but I attributed it to stress of job.

 

[Teddy02]

Been there done that! I wore Tykables ‘cammies’ to hospital for my last two operations, one knee replacement and a chest op. It was a private hospital where they told me I could order whatever nappy I preferred/needed. I declined and said that I would bring my own. There was only one time that I asked for help changing but all other times I managed to do it for myself. The nursing staff were always excellent. It was a long time ago that I felt embarrassed about having to wear nappies, but I do like ABDL nappies and they have raised eyebrows on more than one occasion.
I had a scan at an NHS hospital recently and I was in a Kiddo’s ‘Let’s build’ nappy and had forgotten to take a change with me. Actually I did not know that I would need to take my trousers off. I think the two girl technicians were quite amused, well I hope they were not offended anyway!! At lest I am on file as being incontinent so I guess they know what to expect.

 

[SparkyDog]

Im rather surprised they changed you with a hip surgery they would usually just give you a cath if you have IC

 

[CrossfireHurricane]

A few years back I had an emergency surgery for acute appendicitis. I was having dinner with my parents when it hit me after eating. It hit me so hard that I couldn't even stand up. My mother called for an ambulance. I had the surgery that evening and put me on the recovery floor. I was still completely out and I slept until the next morning. When I awoke I could see that the nursing staff had diapered me. It didn't really suprise me. Apparently they knew I was incontinent. They must have removed the cath before diapering me. I was still groggy but I could see them taping on my diaper. Later in the afternoon when I was feeling better I had a fairly large BM and my diaper was really wet. A nurse and an aide came in to check on me. They could see that my diaper was dirty and wet so they changed me. I don't think I had been changed since I was a kid. It wasn't humiliating but certainly embarrassing. The nurse was older but the aide was a 20'ish girl. They were very professional but still, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
I was in the hospital for almost 5 days. The staff were great. They checked and changed me even when I wasn't really wet. That was the last time I went to a hospital.

 

[Edgewater]

With my hip replacement, they placed a cath and it did not come out until the day before I left hospital when I was diapered. The same was true for my L-5 S-1 surgery that Fall. I have no kind words for being Cath, but at least happy that it was removed by a true professorial.

It appears that COVID had cleared out the jerks within the medical system.

Always, diapered for the trip home!

 

[Mike1964]

With my hip replacement, they placed a cath and it did not come out until the day before I left hospital when I was diapered. The same was true for my L-5 S-1 surgery that Fall. I have no kind words for being Cath, but at least happy that it was removed by a true professorial.

It appears that COVID had cleared out the jerks within the medical system.

Always, diapered for the trip home!

I'm a bit worried because I may end up having a second surgery. L5-S1. My doctor knows I use adult diapers. I'm trying my best to put it off, but it'll probably happen anyway.

 

[Zeke]

I have had four spinal operations over the last 12 years and my incontinence issues are well recorded. I have worn adult nappies to manage my incontinence for over 35 years and as a rule have always been able to change myself, sometimes with a bit of help. Just recently however I had a hip replacement and changing myself when wet was out of the question. I generally go through four nappies a day and I was so embarrassed at having to tell the nurses I was wet and asking them to change me. But they were amazing about it although some struggled a bit fixing the tapes in the best place! I was in hospital for four days and they never made me feel awkward even checking every once in a while if I needed changing.
What experiences have others had?

Weren’t the doctors and nurses concerned with your surgical affected area being covered by diapers? I’m sure they had it bandaged, but I wouldn’t think that they’d want a diaper anywhere close to the surgical field. I have a friend who was in surgery for malignancies on his kidneys and he ended up having a bowel movement while on the operating table. I’m thinking all in the theater probably wished he had been wearing a diaper!

 

[Zeke]

With my hip replacement, they placed a cath and it did not come out until the day before I left hospital when I was diapered. The same was true for my L-5 S-1 surgery that Fall. I have no kind words for being Cath, but at least happy that it was removed by a true professorial.

It appears that COVID had cleared out the jerks within the medical system.

Always, diapered for the trip home!

Edgewater, do those new hips come with grease zerks or are they sealed and lubricated for life? When I was in for my cervical surgery after recovering the first thing that had to be dealt with was that catheter coming out. The nurse told me that I probably would be able to walk as they had taken donor bone for my fusions from my hip. I told her come Hell or high water that catheter was coming out. It’s a good thing that they had a nurse on both sides of me because I went down to my knees went I tried getting out of bed. They gave me a walker and I made it to the restroom and got things done. There’s just something I can’t stand about a catheter and even back then, prior to my incontinence and diaper acceptance, I think that I still would’ve preferred a diaper to the pecker-pipe.

 

[longislandguy]

As an aside, “I wear nappies in hospital” is one of the most British sentences I’ve heard.

 

[Zeke]

A few years back I had an emergency surgery for acute appendicitis. I was having dinner with my parents when it hit me after eating. It hit me so hard that I couldn't even stand up. My mother called for an ambulance. I had the surgery that evening and put me on the recovery floor. I was still completely out and I slept until the next morning. When I awoke I could see that the nursing staff had diapered me. It didn't really suprise me. Apparently they knew I was incontinent. They must have removed the cath before diapering me. I was still groggy but I could see them taping on my diaper. Later in the afternoon when I was feeling better I had a fairly large BM and my diaper was really wet. A nurse and an aide came in to check on me. They could see that my diaper was dirty and wet so they changed me. I don't think I had been changed since I was a kid. It wasn't humiliating but certainly embarrassing. The nurse was older but the aide was a 20'ish girl. They were very professional but still, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
I was in the hospital for almost 5 days. The staff were great. They checked and changed me even when I wasn't really wet. That was the last time I went to a hospital.

It’s strange how people, myself included, get so strange when bodily functions are involved. I’m not sure why we feel the need to apologize for the odor emitted by the bacteria inhabiting our GI tract but it seems to be nearly a universal response to this situation. Medical professionals seem to be far better prepared for this circumstance than those whose diapers they’re changing are.

 

[Tenaman]

Im rather surprised they changed you with a hip surgery they would usually just give you a cath if you have IC

I invariably get UTIs with a catheter and the hospital med staff know this as it where I have had all my operations.

 

[Tenaman]

Weren’t the doctors and nurses concerned with your surgical affected area being covered by diapers? I’m sure they had it bandaged, but I wouldn’t think that they’d want a diaper anywhere close to the surgical field. I have a friend who was in surgery for malignancies on his kidneys and he ended up having a bowel movement while on the operating table. I’m thinking all in the theater probably wished he had been wearing a diaper!

Luckily I don’t have bowel problems and the dressings are all waterproof too and the area of the surgery was only partly covered so it did not seem to present a problem to anyone. With all the pain killers etc I did not actually even have a BM for days which in itself was pretty uncomfortable.

 

[Tenaman]

I'm a bit worried because I may end up having a second surgery. L5-S1. My doctor knows I use adult diapers. I'm trying my best to put it off, but it'll probably happen anyway.

Try not to worry and don’t put it off. My four spinal ops were decompression and discectomy at L4/L5/S1. Disc removed and fusion at C3/C4. A further decompression and discectomy at L3/L4 and the a further fusion at L4/L5. I was catheterised during the first op and next 24 hours and promptly got a UTI. Ever since then I have requested not to be catheterised and to wear the nappies instead and it has never been refused. All my ops have been at the same private hospital so they know me well, which probably helps. I hope your op goes well.

 

[mightytoddler]

When I was TBoned by a drunk driver years ago my legs were crushed , brain contusion , ruptured spleen , ruptured bladder , part of my lower spinal cord was cut , ribs dislodged from the sternum , my face was ripped open nose split in half teeth were snapped off at the gum line or completely pushed out backwards . I was a mess and very young , they put you in an induced coma when your brain swells I was in that situation for 3 weeks before they woke me up . They had my bladder connected to a tube into a bag under the bed kinda thing . Jaundice was bad my skin was yellow and the white of my eyes were yellow . There were so many wires and tubes everywhere coming out of me they could hardly shift me around . I don’t remember much once I was hit lights out ! After 9 weeks they got the bladder tube stuck in me and they could not remove it I was screaming pain while they were attempting to remove it. Back in surgery to remove the tube , that was terrible ! After surgery they had to leave a new tube in because they split me to get the stuck one out it had a thing on the end that’s what got stuck . After another week they carefully removed the new much smaller tube that was the point they realized I was never going to hold any fluids again . IC ! The first diapers they used were horrible cheap hospital save money diapers that leaked badly . Keep in mind hospital beds mattress is plastic coated and get hot . To deal with leaking instead of using a quality diaper they put a pad under me All that did was soak my medical gown laying in tinkle soaked bedding . It was a nurse that brought me quality thick diapers she bought herself . Attends diapers were the best at that time and things got way better with loss of bladder function . 19 months in Baylor hospital in Houston TX before I went home . Guess who followed me home …. The nurse . Guess who asked me to marry her 7 months later … my nurse She’s my angel my mommy wife . Hospitals don’t use quality diapers to save $ yet charge a lot per diaper as we looked at the long list of charges . Backthentgey charged insurance 18$ each which included the act of changing me . WTH ! Theft if you ask me the cheap diapers we’re about 1.20$ each. But as far as changing me I really did not care about being rolled on my side 5 X daily some times up to 7X daily . When your suffering terrible trauma changing your diaper is just a medical act nothing more . Thankfully I’m small for a adult when I got home it was harder to change myself I was very limited in motion . Mommy had to work and in home healthcare personnel made me more nervous than hospital nurses . You never knew who the in home help nurse would be either a man or woman they just made me feel helpless at a point I was trying so hard to be self sufficient . I’ve not been in a hospital for any extended time in a long time mostly just 1 to 3 day corrective surgery . I get tickled seeing nurses see my cute bambino diapers . Even had doctors state I’ve not seen adult diapers so bright lol . Truly if your in that situation having a overly wet diaper changed is a big relief . Don’t sweat diaper changes in medical facility’s they deal with it all the time. Just be kind and thank your nurse always

 

[Zeke]

……With all the pain killers etc I did not actually even have a BM for days which in itself was pretty uncomfortable.

Opioid induced constipation, OIC, was a major problem that I dealt with too when my internal medicine doctor was prescribing me 225 mg of morphine and 50 mg of hydrocodone daily. The gastroenterologist that I was seeing after an episode of losing blood internally in my GI tract got me started using polyethylene glycol, generic Miralax, which has helped me keep my OIC in check. Then when I started having the radio frequency ablation procedure done on the cervical vertebrae that were causing my pain I was able to cease my opioid use totally for a month in order to get to a new baseline and then continue them with an 80% reduction in morphine and codeine that I currently take. This has made a big difference in the ease with which “things” are kept moving. It has also made my bowel movements much more comfortable than they had been, but no more controllable than they had been when I first became dual ic.

 

[Edgewater]

I'm a bit worried because I may end up having a second surgery. L5-S1. My doctor knows I use adult diapers. I'm trying my best to put it off, but it'll probably happen anyway.

Surgery in this region is always serious, but if setting metal supports are not part of it and it is targeting bone growth removal, it is much easier, if anything about back surgery is easier.

 

[Edgewater]

It’s strange how people, myself included, get so strange when bodily functions are involved. I’m not sure why we feel the need to apologize for the odor emitted by the bacteria inhabiting our GI tract but it seems to be nearly a universal response to this situation. Medical professionals seem to be far better prepared for this circumstance than those whose diapers they’re changing are.

I got the zerkless series!!

I commonly keep very Hydrated and that keeps the urine smell under control.
I suffer the same issues near everyone does with Hospital stays and that always bowel 'aroma'. I look at it as, that is what they feed me, so!!

 

[greatlake5]

I haven't been a hospital since a few tests and when I was 17 and had knee surgery. My mom bought my own diapers and the nurses were find with that. They saw my chart and knew I was IC. The surgery was fine but they wanted me to stay in bed. I had a cath for the first day but they removed it and put on my diaper. It felt a little weird since I haven't been changed since I was a kid. The first changes where when I had a wet diaper. But the next morning I had a fairly large BM. I had one when I was sleeping (as usual) and when I awoke I saw the nurse was starting to change me. I was half asleep but I could feel it. And then the nurse said "Oh my...it looks like you have a big messy one." Couldn't help but feel embarrassed. I was only in the hospital for a few days but every time they change me it felt strange. Especially when the nurse was young (and cute).

 

[Tenaman]

Opioid induced constipation, OIC, was a major problem that I dealt with too when my internal medicine doctor was prescribing me 225 mg of morphine and 50 mg of hydrocodone daily. The gastroenterologist that I was seeing after an episode of losing blood internally in my GI tract got me started using polyethylene glycol, generic Miralax, which has helped me keep my OIC in check. Then when I started having the radio frequency ablation procedure done on the cervical vertebrae that were causing my pain I was able to cease my opioid use totally for a month in order to get to a new baseline and then continue them with an 80% reduction in morphine and codeine that I currently take. This has made a big difference in the ease with which “things” are kept moving. It has also made my bowel movements much more comfortable than they had been, but no more controllable than they had been when I first became dual ic.

10 weeks on since the hip operation I am still experiencing quite a lot of pain and so still taking pain killers but nothing like earlier. Now it is codeine, paracetamol, ibuprofen and nefapam. I also take omeprazole and ducosate for my bowels to try and ease the opiate constipation you mentioned. I work away from home Mon - Thu and this week am returning to work in the office so had a 3 hour drive to my flat. I stopped every hour to rest but midway through my journey I had a real flood which my nappy contained but then shortly afterwards had a bowel movement, which was really worrying and upsetting. I had not had a BM for a couple of days so I really hope this is a one off and due to the meds. But arriving at my flat, having to unload the car and then go and clean up was not a great start to the week!